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Sunday, January 8, 2017

Pati made this stew on her cooking show and I had to search for the recipe since it looked delicious. The recipe is versatile as far as using the seafood that your family prefers. When I get around to making this, it will include shrimp, fish and crab.

NOTE: If you plan on making the seafood or fish broth, get the whole fish and ask your fish monger to clean it for you and to give you the head, bones and tail to use for the broth. Also, save the shrimp shells and tails to use in the broth, as well.

Cut the fish fillets so that you have 6 more or less equally sized pieces. Season with ¼ teaspoon salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Set aside.

Place the tomatoes, jalapeños, and the 3 whole garlic cloves in a medium saucepan, cover with water and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Simmer until the tomatoes are fully cooked and very soft, about 10 minutes.

Transfer the tomatoes, garlic cloves, and only 1 of the jalapeños (puree one chile at a time, taste for heat, and add the other if desired) to a blender, and add the onion and 1 teaspoon of the salt. Puree until completely smooth.

Rinse and dry the saucepan and heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in it over medium heat. Once hot, add the tomato puree and cover the pan partially with a lid, as the puree will sputter and jump. Cook, stirring occasionally, until thick, dark and fragrant, about 6 to 7 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.

In a large, wide casserole, heat 1/4 cup of the olive oil over high heat. Once hot, toss in the squid, sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon of salt, add half of the finely chopped garlic, and cook for 2 minutes, stirring halfway through. Remove the squid and the garlic with a slotted spoon and place in a heatproof bowl.

Add the shrimp to the casserole, along with another 1/2 teaspoon of salt and half of the remaining chopped garlic, and cook for 2 minutes, stirring and flipping the shrimp over halfway through. Remove with a slotted spoon and place in the bowl with the squid.

Reduce the heat to medium and add 1/4 cup of the remaining olive oil to the casserole. Once hot, add the rice and cook for about 3 to 4 minutes, stirring often and scraping the bottom of the casserole, until the rice is crackling and coated with oil, feels heavier in the pan as you stir it, and the color of the grains has changed from a pale white to a deep milky white.

Pour the cooked-down tomato puree over the rice. It will sizzle and smoke a bit, which is what you want.

Cover partially with a lid and cook, stirring a couple of times, until the rice absorbs most of the sauce, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the seafood broth and stir the rice, scraping the bottom of the casserole. Add the epazote or cilantro sprigs and reduce the heat to medium-low.

Gently arrange the reserved shrimp and squid on top of the rice, adding any of their juices from the bowl, as well as the clams, mussels and seasoned fish fillets.

Cover and simmer over medium-low heat for 10 to 12 minutes, until the fish is cooked through and can be easily pulled apart with a fork, and the clams and mussels have opened up.

Turn off the heat and serve immediately in soup plates. The rice should be tender and the mixture very soupy.

Contributors

I'm a recipe collector and have a filing cabinet full of recipes from scouring magazines, newspapers, trading with friends and my cherished family recipes that were passed on to me by family . . . some I have no idea where they came from. I attempt to list sources when I have them . . . I'm not trying to claim any recipe as mine unless it is . . . I'm a serious foodie . . . not a professional chef!

I will also be posting those recipes that look promising to me since I'm always looking for new recipes to try out.

I'm a third generation sicilian italian-cuban-american who was fascinated with everything that happened in the kitchen as I grew up, next to my nana's side . . . watching every move that she made. She started giving me little jobs to do in the kitchen to keep from stepping on me . . . I learned how to cook at a young age, throwing things together, rarely using measuring utensils. Cooking is a passion which takes lots of tasting and nurturing what you are cooking until it is just right.

Here's the twist to my italian cooking . . . I married a southern gentleman whose mom prepared the best southern comfort food meals . . . and as a young adult, I was right there by her side, learning how to cook southern style. He and I combined the two cooking styles into our own style that never disappointed our guests.

Since my southern gentleman passed away, I got used to cooking for one . . . so there is yet another twist to my cooking . . . cooking a big meal and turning it into totally different meals.

I've since remarried and my new husband (yep, another southern gentleman) has a similar cooking style . . . and we are perfecting the art of making great meals using leftovers :)